Elliott not the only one to blame: Kingston

Despite the head of Matthew Elliott being on the chopping block, yet again – Panthers hooker Kevin Kingston says that the players have to take responsibility for their poor start to the season, and not coach Matthew Elliott.

As the Panthers face a do-or-die clash with the Canberra Raiders this week, Kingston has called on all of the players to stand up, and make the job of Elliott safe.

“It is not the coach’s fault,” Kingston said.

“He was good enough to take us to second on the table last year and he is still the same coach. We are really good mates and we are supporting the coach 100 per cent.

“We believe in his game plan and we believe in him as coach.

“I don’t know? Maybe we get on with him too well, that might be the problem. But we are intent on putting it all together this weekend.”

Kingston does admit that due to the players not being able to execute the appropriate game-plan, it has heaped even more pressure on Elliott to retain his coaching role.

“You get this type of pressure put on you when you are not winning games,” Kingston said.

“That is part of it.

“I don’t think it should be Matt who is being questioned, it should be us.

“We are right behind him and we want to win for him.”

The Panthers will be boosted with the return of halfback Luke Walsh, and it will enable the Panthers to undertake a more structured game-plan with Walsh at the helm.

“No one here is saying that it is a must win game but maybe some are thinking it,” Kingston added.

“We need to defend our home turf and turn it around and there is no better time than the heritage round.

After some recent poor performances at home, Kingston knows that the Panthers have to make Centrebet Stadium a fortress, and fast.

“We need to reverse the results we have had,” he said.

“And it is especially important at home. I mean, the fans don’t want to come out and see us lose and we need to turn it around. We have trained well or week and we have talked about what we need to do, and there is no reason we can’t do it.”